The $13 beauty product Ruby Rose takes everywhere.

February 7, 2015

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It’s easy to assume celebrities are loaded up with all things expensive and fancy: caviar, gold-flaked vodka, the entire range of Chanel handbags…

So, naturally, it’s kind of surprising to hear that someone as famous as Ruby Rose swears by beauty products that don’t cost more than a weeks’ worth of morning coffees. Case in point: the Aussie model/actor/former boxer(!) is currently obsessed with a $13 eyebrow gel.

“Last year Maybelline released Brow Drama, and I carry that with me everywhere,” Ruby says. “Brow gels are life changing – you never have to worry about taking photos and and then being like, ‘Why is my eyebrow facing the wrong direction?'” Yep, know that feeling.

This year, you’re going to be seeing a lot of Ruby Rose. Although the 28-year-old has always kept herself busy with her various pursuits, her face is going to be everywhere in 2015. As the ambassador for Maybelline New York here in Australia, Ruby’s going to be heavily involved in the brand’s upcoming 100-year celebrations.

Then there's her role in Orange is the New Black. Last month it was announced Ruby would be joining the cast as Stella Carlin, an inmate at Litchfield Penitentiary with a "sarcastic sense of humour and captivating looks."

Unfortunately, she's pretty tight-lipped about exactly what that captivating look involves. "I posted a behind the scenes [photo on Instagram], so that's how I look on the show. There were some minor things we had to change, but you'll have to wait until it comes out to find out."

Damn. To make the wait easier, read on to see what else is keeping Ruby busy and happy. (Hint: Taylor Swift is involved):

What's always lurking in your handbag?

"I always have gum and I always have floss. People always make fun of me because they're like, 'What are you, 100? Why do you have gum and floss in your bag?' I just hate getting something in my teeth."

In Her Bag: Jessica Vander Leahy

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And beauty-wise?

"I have Brow Drama in my bag all the time; always got Baby Lips because my lips are always dry from all the travelling ... Sometimes I'll have either a mask or something like that in there just in case I'm staying in a hotel or something. Or if I'm flying, I'll keep some masks or an 8 hour cream in there to keep my face hydrated. I don't keep a full beauty bag in my handbag. It gets too heavy."

What else helps you travel?

"Those SKII freaky zombie masks that look like your face is peeling off. Also, drinking water for long hauls is so much better for my skin, it doesn't leave it dehydrated."

Picture this: You've slept in, and only have 5 minutes to get your face on. What do you do?

"Oh, that happens to me all the time. I'll put on an SKII moisturiser, I'll chuck on a Kiehl's eye cream, I usually wash my face with Cetaphil because it's simple, quick, easy, you can get it anywhere. And then my most important things are my eyelashes, my lips and my brows. That's my focus. If I don't have a lot of time I may not wear foundation - I'll do a Baby Lips, I'll use mascara, and then I'll make sure my brows look on point. If you have a good moisturiser, or an 8 hour cream, and you make yourself look dewy you can still radiate without having to do a full face of makeup. You can just focus on what your highlights are and then fix it up later."

Here are just a sample of Ruby's Instagram pics (post continues after gallery)

Everything's coming up Rose.

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What's your absolute favourite fragrance?

"Jean Paul Gaultier, just classic. That's my favourite perfume, I just love it. For the last 10 years it's been the same perfume. I know at some point I should mix it up, but whenever I go to another fragrance nothing lasts as long, nothing smells as good - it just smells really great on my skin."

When you're not running late, what's the first thing you do when you wake up?

"I get the luxury of sleeping with three animals - I've got two dogs and a cat - so the first thing I do is let them out so they can go to the bathroom. Then I brush my teeth and wash my face - I wash my face twice a day, cleanser twice a day - and then I drink coffee and look at what my schedule says for the day."

Did you ever fall for a tragic beauty fad that makes you cringe now?

"When I was, I must have been about 12 or 13, I was a huge Mariah Carey and Christina Aguilera fan and they both had tattooed-on, incredibly thin eyebrows. So I thought that was the way to go - I remember plucking my eyebrows until they were so thin they were barely there. I am so lucky they've grown back. I also got into blue eyeshadow ... I thought it was a little bit cool and '80s and punk. I look back on it, and it just wasn't something that I needed to be doing."

How do you convince yourself to work out when you just can't be bothered?

"I have those days all the time. It's tough because I used to do competitive boxing and in that case I was going for a 10km run in the morning every morning, I would never miss it, then I'd do 1-2 hours of boxing almost every day. So to lose that level of fitness, and now get back on board, it's super tough. Quite often I'm like, 'Why even bother?'

"To motivate myself I usually look up the photos of when I was boxing because I had a 6-pack and I had super strong arms and I won that fight, so that motivates me. I also remind myself that by doing exercise I feel happier. If i start my day like that, the endorphins, having the blood rush around my body, I've already achieved something before 7am... all those things get me up and get me to the gym."

Is there a workout song that pumps you up?

"I don't have one song, but I'll go through an album and to the point that I can never hear that album again. At the moment, strangely enough, that album is Taylor Swift's 1989. I am obsessed with that. It's my workout jam at the moment. It goes from Eminem or Jay Z to Guns and Roses to Taylor Swift - it's so eclectic. But right now it's all about Tay-Tay."

What's the best makeup trick you've been taught?

"I somehow thought I was applying mascara properly, which I think a lot of people do - just the standard start at the base and then go up-down-up-down. But Nigel Stanislaus taught me to get the best result, start at the base and then do a zigzag motion through your lashes, and then wait for a little bit, and doing a second coat if you want it to be more dramatic.

"By doing it the right way you can keep layering and layering and make it look like you're wearing false eyelashes when you're not - it gets every single lash and you don't have to worry about clumping. It was so funny that I didn't know something as simple as that."

What's your favourite product?

"My favourite product is Falsies mascara; 1. it's my favourite mascara, and 2. it's the first-ever campaign I ever did for Maybelline. So of course it has such a special place in my heart."